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Kartel × Lighthouse
Re-skilling the Next Generation of Generative Creatives
The Lighthouse × Kartel pipeline is built for artists and creatives who are serious about developing their generative skills and putting them to work in a professional environment.
Complete real production challenges, earn a subsidized seat in a Lighthouse cohort, get certified, and access jobs.
Why We're Building This
Kartel and Lighthouse have been working in the generative space since 2023, building production pipelines for enterprise clients and training artists to operate inside them. What we kept seeing was the same thing: the talent that stood out wasn't just technically skilled, they understood the process. How to take a brief, work collaboratively, and deliver inside a real production environment. That's what separates someone who can generate from someone you can actually build with.
So we decided to build the pipeline we wished existed. One that takes you from where you are today, through real challenges built against actual production standards, into a certified credential that means something because it connects to real commercial work.
This partnership exists because both organizations believe the same thing: the next generation of creative talent deserves real investment.
Who This Is For
Working Artists
Generative artists/engineers who are already working and want to keep developing their skills, with a direct path to new commercial opportunities at the end of it.
Creative Professionals
Creative professionals who are reskilling during this AI shift and want a structured, community-driven path to get there.
Newcomers
Newcomers who are serious about making generative AI a career and want to develop quickly inside a real pipeline.
What You Get
Real production challenges designed by the Kartel and Lighthouse teams, built against the same standards used on actual client work.
A subsidized seat in a Lighthouse cohort course, funded by Kartel, for artists who earn their way there.
Hands-on mentorship, project-based learning, and a cohort of people working toward the same thing.
A Lighthouse Certified credential tied to actual commercial opportunities.
Access to the Kartel × Lighthouse job board once you're certified.
How It Works
Challenge
Join the community, pick your track, and complete timed production challenges that test where your skills are at today.
Train & Certify
Complete both challenges and qualify for a fully subsidized seat in a Lighthouse course - either Advanced ComfyUI or AI for Creative Leaders, depending on your track.
Get Work
Graduate Lighthouse Certified and gain access to the Kartel × Lighthouse job board. You're first in line for contracted production work.
The Challenges
Complete the global challenge first, then pick a specialization track and complete both challenges. Each challenge is built from real Kartel production work with a 2-week submission window.
The Full Campaign Challenge
Synthesize reference images, a brand guide, and a creative brief into a cohesive image campaign. Tests prompt engineering precision, visual literacy, brand adherence, and creative direction from a brief.
Deliverables
Complete this challenge first to unlock specialization tracks
Creative Leaders Track
Character Extraction
Isolate 4 characters from source photos with clean subject isolation. Produce reference frames with neutral backgrounds, no artifacts, and accurate identity preservation.
Deliverables
Complete to earn a subsidized Lighthouse seat
Character Sheets
Using your extractions as identity reference, produce full character sheets with 6-9 images each showing varied expressions and poses while maintaining identity consistency.
Deliverables
Complete to earn a subsidized Lighthouse seat
Advanced ComfyUI Specialist Track
Product Swap
Replace products in 7 lifestyle images with precise inpainting. Match lighting, shadows, and perspective while keeping backgrounds untouched.
Deliverables
Complete to earn a subsidized Lighthouse seat
Background Replacement
Replace backgrounds in your product-swapped images while keeping subjects intact. Match lighting consistency and depth of field for believable composites.
Deliverables
Complete to earn a subsidized Lighthouse seat
Ready to Start?
Fill out the form below. Once submitted you'll be directed to the landing page with the first Global challenge.